I can’t wait for the sun to come out again— afternoon snacks in the park after a little play on the swings, are my favourite!
Life Through The Lens • Al Fresco
When I Grow Up
I never knew what I wanted to be when I ‘grew up.’ We had to make a decision in year 10 of secondary school, to discuss with a careers advisor— a woman who was a complete stranger and knew nothing about us or our abilities! I liked writing and English was one of my favourite and strongest subjects, so I thought journalism would be a good route, despite knowing nothing about it. The careers advisor ‘advised’ that journalism was a good option, but asked had I considered being a nurse / doctor / teacher?
Er, no lady.
I was bitten by the photography bug years ago, but it’s only recently that I’ve come to the conclusion that wedding photography is the path I want to choose (along with some other documentary-style coverage and portrait sessions too— I just can’t get enough of photographing people!) I guess reportage style photography is similar to journalism in the sense that it allows me to collect, edit and present a story or news. Perhaps my original career plan wasn’t too far off!
There’s something really lovely about being included in the happiest day of people’s lives and all the emotions it brings, when two families come together. It’s all about the details, whether they’re big or small; that little squeeze of a hand that no one else sees; big smiles; flower arrangements; tears; colours. And of course, The Dress. There’s so many different styles now— a modest wedding dress collection here, a vintage dress there. Coloured tutus, or classic, simple bridesmaids gowns. Big traditional bouquets or just a conservative centrepiece? No two weddings are the same, ever, despite couples adopting similar styles. Being a wedding photographer is such a varied, creative, unique and happy job, and I can’t wait to get my teeth stuck into some more celebrations this year!
What did you want to be when you ‘grew up’? Did you follow that career path?
Disclaimer: This post contains a sponsored link. You can read more about my policy on sponsored content, here.
Photography • Weddings: Lauren and Dan
Do you remember when I started offering my photography services for free? Well, if you don’t here was the deal in a nutshell: I was (and still am!) working for free for a short period of time, to expand my portfolio and gain experience in areas where I’ve not had as much practice. As with a lot of these things, it’s who you know and not always what you know (although in this case, it quite obviously help A LOT) and so two weeks ago, I found myself photographing the wedding of a friend, of a friend, of a friend!
It was probably the hardest day of my working life, but also the most exciting and exhilariting, not to mention potentially life-changing— because at the ripe old age of almost-twenty-six, I think I’ve found what I want to ‘do’!
If you can’t see the photo gallery above, then you can browse the photos here on Flickr.
Thank you to those people that have already enquired about hiring me for family portraits, parties and events. I can’t wait to get stuck in! For more info, please see this post, tweet me @aimeemariecom or email foto@aimeemarie.com.
Do You Need A Photographer? I’ll Do It For Free!
I’ll admit it— these last few years, life has got in the way and I’ve rarely taken on any new photo projects. That’s not good for a photographer, is it? I’ve taken a bit of a detour and I’ve ended up only snapping away for myself, but now is the time to get my photo-venture up and running once again! So, in my quest to do something more fulfilling, I’m making myself available for photography projects across the UK.
And the best thing about this new venture? I’m doing it for FREE!
Why free?
It may seem too good to be true and I know some people will automatically assume that a free photographer is a rubbish photographer, but you can take a look at my portfolio and judge for yourself. I’m working for free for a short period of time, because I need to expand my portfolio and gain experience in areas where I’ve not had as much practice. In exchange for a free photoshoot, I will be using some of the photos in my portfolio (and my travel and/or accommodation costs would need to be covered, where applicable.)
Who and What I Want To Photograph
I love documentary photography, so people on location (i.e. not in a studio) is my kind of thing, especially if I’m working candidly. With that in my mind, I’d love to photograph:
weddings and engagements
events (charity, blogger, school etc)
parties
conferences
live music
portraits / headshots for bloggers, writers etc
band / artist portraits
pregnancy portraits
family and baby / children portraits
Having said that, I’m still trying to find my niche, so I’m willing to turn my hand to just about anything!
How To Get Involved
Simply contact me via Twitter, or email me with an outline of what you’re interested in and I’ll get back to you asap!
Exciting!
Life Through The Lens • Brighton
Yesterday, Ashley and I took the train to Brighton and had an amazing lunch at the BBQ Shack at the World’s End pub. If it’s good enough for Jay Rayner, it’s good enough for us! And no trip to Brighton is complete without a stroll down the Laines, perusing bric-a-brac shops and hot sugar ring doughnuts on the pier!
Brighton is one of my favourite places, ever. If you’ve never been, you need to go! It has such a relaxed atmosphere, not to mention great food, great shops and great, eclectic, eccentric people.
